Five Keys to the Game: Maryland

Here are five areas that AllHoosiers.com thinks could potentially be key for IU Saturday against Maryland.

For every Indiana game this season we will have a Five Keys to the Game feature. Here is the one for Saturday’s game with Maryland.

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME

1. ESTABLISH THE RUN EARLY:Indiana is averaging 310 yards per game on the ground alone and 547 yards per game overall. Maryland is allowed 199 yards rushing per game. With that in mind. Indiana needs to get out of the blocks quickly with Tevin Coleman, D’Angelo Roberts and maybe even Devine Redding establishing the rushing attack. If IU can get the running game going, it will allow Nate Sudfeld to execute his timely play action passes and allow for IU’s big-play offense to get untracked.

2. ELIMINATE THE DUMB PENALITES:Indiana has had its share of bad penalties early: Personal fouls, pass interference and kickoffs out of bounds have been costly at times. In three games, IU has committed 20 penalties for 213 yards, an average of seven penalties per game. Indiana cannot afford to slow its offense down or keep the opponent on the field longer by making silly mistakes.

3. DON’T LET C.J. Brown BECOME MULTI-DIMENSIONAL:C.J. Brown is throwing for 208 yards per game and running for another 61. He is Maryland’s leading rusher. Indiana needs to put pressure on him early and be ready for him when he tries to scramble. The key with a quarterback like Brown is to not allow him to get comfortable. If IU can pressure Brown like it did Maty Mauk last week at Missouri, that would be a job well done.

4. GET THE KICKERS SOME CONFIDENCE:You don’t want to settle for field goals but if the opportunities present themselves either Aaron Del Grosso and Griffin Oakes need to convert. Indiana is 1-of-4 on field goal attempts this season. Indiana coach Kevin Wilson needs to get confident with that group or you’re going to see IU going for it on fourth down more and more.

5. LET COLEMAN RUN WILD:In each of his last two games at Memorial Stadium (last season against Illinois and this year against Indiana State) IU junior tailback Tevin Coleman has ran for more than 200 yards rushing. He had 247 in his last outing at home against the Sycamores. Coleman leads the nation with average rushing yards per game at 189.7. That may be a lofty average but if Coleman can get 20 plus carries a game, there’s no reason why he cannot remain in that yardage vicinity.